Primary Structure of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor.
Abstract
Chemical signalling between cells is an important form of biological regulation. We have focussed our attention on the signalling mechanisms that use acetylcholine, cholinergic receptors and acetylcholinesterase. Our approach to understanding these mechanisms has been to clone DNA sequences that encode the proteins that comprise the acetylcholine receptor molecules and to determine the primary structure of the receptors from these recombinant DNA clones. In the course of this work, we have discovered that there is family of genes that encode a family of receptor molecules. Through our research we have determined the primary structure of these proteins, shown that they can be expressed in Xenopus oocytes to form functional receptors, shown that the receptors have different properties, and shown that the receptors are expressed in different parts of the brain. This unexpected prevalence and diversity of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors changes the way we think about the drugs and toxins that affect cholinergic signalling. Because these receptors are pharmacologically distinguishable and occur in regions of the brain with different known functions one must consider the idea that cholinergic ligands exert differential effects in different brain pathways. Keywords: Nerve transmission; Neurochemistry; RA 5; Neuromuscular junction; Synapse; Acetylcholine receptor; Recombinant DNA; Oocyte expression; DNA sequencing; Pharmacology. (KT)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADB137465
Entities
People
- James W. Patrick
Organizations
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies